Sharjah: School bus drivers will soon be subjected to stringent background checks as police investigate if they have a criminal or traffic violations' record, a senior member of the traffic police has said.
The new measures are part of a programme to be implemented by Sharjah Police on November 14, as part of training for school bus drivers to improve their driving skills, while teaching them how to deal with emergency situations.
Lieutenant Colonel Arif Mohammad Al Shamsi, Director of Traffic and Licence Department at Sharjah Police, said that public and private school bus drivers would have to undergo a one-week programme at a cost of Dh500.
"The programme is expected to last until March 1, and after that date we will not approve any licences for bus drivers," explained Lt. Col Al Shamsi. In 2009, police reported eight school bus-related deaths of pupils, in which one was seriously injured and 55 sustained mild injuries. In 2008, two pupils were killed and 26 were injured as a result of schools failing to implement safety rules on buses.
Lt. Col Al Shamsi said: "The four-month campaign will be conducted to prevent school bus drivers from violating traffic rules.
"Bus drivers who commit any violation for the first time will be fined, and if they carry out a second violation the school bus will be confiscated".
For the record
Currently, there are 3,000 bus drivers registered with the traffic department including 2,000 drivers of public school buses and 1,000 drivers of private school buses.
With the implementation of the programme, bus drivers will also need to obtain a letter from police stating that they have no criminal records. They will also need to have a complete medical check-up and a letter from the school where they have been employed.
"Schools will be fined if they do not adhere to having a maximum of 84 students in each bus… and we have already notified Sharjah Education Zone about the launch of the programme," he said.
